But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.
Parallel translations
- WEB But your little ones, that you said should be captured or killed, them I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.
- KJV But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
- NKJV But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.
- NASB Your children, however, whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.
- NLT “‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God promised to bring the very little ones the people feared for safely into the land. He turned their faithless excuse on its head.
Overview
The children whom the people claimed would be captured or killed were exactly those God would bring into the inheritance their parents rejected. God's mercy preserved the next generation even amid judgment. His purposes advance through the children of promise despite the failures of the present.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Deut 1:39And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.
- Ps 106:24They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise.
- Num 14:3Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
- Num 26:6the Hezronite clan from Hezron, and the Carmite clan from Carmi.
- Num 26:64Among all these, however, there was not one who had been numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai.
- Gen 25:34Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
- Matt 22:5But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.
- Prov 1:25because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
- Prov 1:30They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
- Acts 13:41‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”
- Heb 12:16–17See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 14:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.